Practitioners’ report on client experiences during COVID-19

In April 2020, The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre collected responses from our specialist practitioners in the Barwon and Wimmera regions about the impact of COVID-19 on sexual assault and family violence clients.

The information collected in this survey reinforces the key issues that have emerged as a result of COVID-19, and indicates clear patterns in the way the pandemic is impacting people who have experienced sexual assault and family violence.

Key themes

• The majority of practitioners reported an increase in the complexity of client issues since the outbreak of COVID-19
• Clients reported to practitioners an increase in physical violence, sexual violence, controlling behaviour, psychological abuse, verbal abuse and financial abuse from the perpetrator since the outbreak of COVID-19
• Practitioners reported clients experienced an increase in trauma symptoms
• Concerningly, many practitioners commented that clients reported perpetrators using the COVID-19 pandemic as a form of abuse and control as part of their violent behaviour.

Practitioners’ report on client experiences during COVID-19 provides an overview of how our practitioners are perceiving the client experience of COVID-19.

Our specialist sexual assault and family violence services in the Barwon and Wimmera regions are open and continue to provide specialist services to women and children impacted by family violence and adults, young people and children impacted by sexual assault during COVID-19.

If you or someone you know needs support, please contact our organisation on reception@safvcentre.org.au or telephone on 03 5222 4318 for Barwon support or contact wimmera@safvcentre.org.au or telephone 03 5381 1211 for Wimmera support.

For support after hours, please contact the Sexual Assault Crisis Line (24 Hours) on 1800 806 292 or safe steps (24 Hours) on 1800 015 188.